Hugues de Payens
French knight from the Champagne region, was the co-founder and first Grand Master of the Knights Templar. With Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, he created the Latin Rule, the code of behavior for the Order.

Hugues de Payns

Jacques de Molay
The last Grandmaster of Knights Templar and probably the most famous templar ever. Executed in 1314 (burned at the stake ) by order of Philip IV, king of France and Clement V., pope.

Ironclad story
In 13th century a determined group of Knights Templar defends Rochester Castle against King John.

It is the year 1215 and the rebel barons of England have forced their despised King John to put his royal seal to the Magna Carta, a noble, seminal document that upheld the rights of free-men. Yet within months of pledging himself to the great charter, the King reneged on his word and assembled a mercenary army on the south coast of England with the intention of bringing the barons and the country back under his tyrannical rule. Barring his way stood the mighty Rochester castle, a place that would become the symbol of the rebel’s momentous struggle for justice and freedom.

Known by many, the warriors of Knights of Templar were controversial and very powerful. Though their oath swore them to live in poverty, many gifts and donations were bestowed upon the order and were not refused. The resources were used to build on land given to them by various people. They became extremely wealthy and so powerful that they came to demise after being accused of heresy.

Acre-Akko tower-Templar HQ, Israel

Acre-Akko Tower Templar HQ, Israel

Convent of Christ, Tomar, Portugal

Convent of Christ, Tomar, Portugal

Chastel Blank (White Castle), Syria

Chastel Blank (White Castle), Syria

Chateau d’Arricau Bordes, France

Chateau d'Arricau Bordes

Teutonic Castles

Teutonic knights were as much powerful as the Templars were. Teutonic castles are located mostly in north-eastern and in central Europe.

Malbork Castle (Marienburg)-Teutonic HQ, Poland

Malbork castle, Poland, Teutonic order HQ

Konigsberg castle-Kaliningrad, Founded by Premysl Ottokar II, Czech King

Konigsberg Castle-Kaliningrad

Bouzov Castle, Czech Republic

Bouzov castle, Czech Republic, Teutonic castle

Castles of Knights Hospitallers

Castles of Knights Hospitallers (Knights of Saint John, Knights of Malta). Castles can be found in Mediterranean sea.

Cuman cavalry was used mostly in Hungarian army, for example in Battle of Marchfeld 1278. Cumans (Kipchaks, Comani, Polovtsi) were originally nomadic people from Asia.

Charge of Teutonic Knights

French cavalry during 100 Years war

Elite French knights were terribly defeated in Battle of Crecy 1346 and Agincourt 1415 by English well organized but smaller army. English longbowmen were the decisive element.

Renaissance Cavalry in 16th century

Spanish cavalry of 16th century - Conquistadors

Mounted Spanish soldiers in plate mail, armed by pikes, rapiers and firearms caused a terrible defeates to Indian cultures in Latin America.

Cossacks

Cossacks were military people lived in Russia. They served to Russian empire against Swedes and Turks. Cossacks are also responsible for Russian expansion to Siberia. They fought for Russia in Napoleonic wars, 1ww. Cossacks were mostly of side of White corps during Russian civil war against bolsheviks. Numerous troops of Cossacks were part of Red army during ww2 however a few troops fought on German side in hope to beat communism. Cossacs are still part of Russian armed forces by Decree of president Putin 2005.

Cavalry in 17th century

30 Years War Cavalry-Swedes-1631

Swedish cavalry of 17th century during 30 Years war. Gustav II Adolf and his troops.

Polish Hussars in Battle of Vienna 1683

Polish Hussars were an elite Polish cavalry. Armed by famous Polish sabre – karabela, lance and firearms they defeated Turks, Russians and Swedes in numerous battles. Polish Hussaria lasted from 16th till 18th century. Victory in Battle of Viena saved Europe from Turkish invasion. Polish Winged Hussars were one of the most impressive cavalry units ever.

We extended our stock. Become a medieval lady, pirate captain, musketeer, Teutonic or Templar knight, medieval peasant or anyone you like to be with a new beautiful costumes and dresses from our store.

Armor in the medieval era was made chiefly of iron, steel or leather. Bronze and brass found use as trims for different pieces of armor, and certain types of horn were used in some armors as well.

Medieval armor types

Leather Armor
Leather was a cheap and relatively easily accessible material to obtain during the Middle Ages. Although rarely used for clothing, it found use in certain types of armor. Most purely leather armor would have been worn early in the Middle Ages, although leather continued to see use as a foundational material for other types of armor even into the Late Middle Ages.
There has been much debate concerning a type of armor called cuir boilli, which is a type of leather armor boiled in wax until reaching a tough, wood-like consistency. This material holds up well under bludgeoning strikes, but can actually be easier to cut through with a sharpened blade than softer leather that has not been treated with wax.
It is fairly certain, though, that medieval warriors sometimes went to battle in a type of boiled leather armor – whether that leather had been treated in wax or not. Decorated leather defenses – especially cuisses and greaves – can be seen depicted in effigy on knights’ tombs as late as the early 13th century.

Leather armor

Most Often Used In: Bracers, cuisses, greaves.
Pros: Relatively cheap and easy to work with. Easily decorated. Light and mobile. Quiet.
Cons: Only good for certain pieces of armor. Does not protect especially well. Susceptible to damage by weather and age (i.e., warping, cracking). Commercially available leather armor is usually very heavily influenced by fantasy designs.

Ring Armor, Ring mail
Ring armor is essentially leather with heavy metal rings (usually steel or iron) sewn directly onto it. This provides slightly more protection than just leather. However, there is no direct evidence of ring-armor being worn at any point in history in Europe (although there have been finds of Asian ring-armor). European iconographic evidence seems to suggest the existence of such defenses, however. This type of armor might have been worn in the Early and High Middle Ages, and may even have seen use by poorer soldiers in the Late Middle Ages.

Ring armor

Most Often Used In: Bracers and cuirass.
Pros: Still fairly cheap, and easy to make with basic leatherworking skills. Light and mobile, and better protection than plain leather. Quiet.
Cons: Still only useful for certain pieces of armor. Not very good against percussive or crushing blows. Commercially available pieces often influenced by fantasy elements.

Scale Armor
Scale armor is usually made of a leather backing with scales of a rigid material either sewn or riveted onto it. This rigid material can be boiled leather, horn, or metal (steel, iron, brass, bronze). Scale armor is usually made in overlapping rows with the scales attached at the top of the row and hanging down.
This type of armor is depicted often in artwork of the Early Middle Ages, and then seems to suffer a fairly sharp drop in popularity as mail grows more widespread and accessible.
The term “mail” was often used in early history to merely denote “armor.” So occasionally, terms like “scale mail” will be found. However, the correct term is simply Scale Armor, or “Leaf Armor.” Scale armor has been used till end of 19th century( China, India).

Scale armor

Most Often Used In: Cuirass, bracers, greaves, tassets.
Pros: Protects well against slashes and mildly well against crushes. Medium weight. Not terribly difficult to make with basic leather and metalworking skills.
Cons: Distribution of weight is generally in one place, making the armor seem heavier. Difficult to maintain in case of damage. Only useful for certain pieces of armor. Difficult to find commercially. Very loud.

Brigandine
Also sometimes called a Jack, Brigandine is made of small steel or iron plates sandwiched between layers of leather or canvas and riveted in place. It was a popular defense on its own for less wealthy soldiers and as a second layer over mail for richer knights. This type of armor sees fairly widespread use in the High Middle Ages, and slowly tapering off (although not disappearing completely) in the Late Middle Ages.
What many role playing games refer to as “studded leather” armor is likely a confused interpretation of medieval artwork that depicted Brigandines (as the only visible metal part of the armor is the rivet structure holding the plates underneath in place).
Most of what is known about this type of armor is taken from either iconographic sources, or – like the Coat of Plates – from a mass grave site near Wisby largely excavated between 1928 – 1930, and full of remains from a battle fought in 1361.

Brigandine

Most Often Used In: Cuirass, cuisses, gorget.
Pros: Protects well against slashes and moderately against crushes. Medium weight, but fairly evenly distributed. Not terribly difficult to make with basic leather and metalworking skills. Easily commercially available.
Cons: Moderately expensive. Only good for defending relatively large areas. Not especially useful for arms or shins. Does not breathe very well. Can be moderately loud.

Coat of Plates
This armor is constructed in the same manner as a brigandine (steel or iron sandwiched between layers of leather and canvas). It differs in that the plates are substantially larger in a Coat of Plates – usually running the width of the torso. This type of armor was fairly widespread in the Late Middle Ages. Most of our knowledge of Coats of Plates – which come in many different patterns – is taken from finds at the site of the Battle of Wisby.

Most Often Used In: Cuirass
Pros: Protects well against cuts, thrusts and crushes. Medium weight, fairly well distributed. Simple to make with basic leather and metalworking skills. Fairly widely commercially available.
Cons: Moderately expensive. Not very flexible. Only used for cuirass. Does not breathe very well. Can be moderately to very loud.

Splinted Armor
Splinted armor is another leather/plate hybrid. In this case, the leather is only used as a backing as opposed to being constructed in a sandwich manner. Plates are long narrow strips (or splints) riveted onto to the leather backing so that they are exposed. This type of armor predates either of the other leather/plate hybrids, and saw use in the Early Middle Ages and partially in the High Middle Ages.

Splinted armor

Most Often Used In: Bracers, greaves.
Pros: Cheap and easy to make. Offers good protection again cuts and mild protection against crushes. Fairly light. Quiet.
Cons: Not useful for protecting large areas (torso, thighs). Not widely commercially available.

Lamellar Armor
Lamellar armor is similar to scale armor. It is usually made of small, thin scales of metal, horn or boiled leather. However, instead of lacing directly to a leather backing, the scales in lamellar armor usually lace to each other. Also, their alignment is usually bottom-to-top patterning in rows instead of scale armor’s top-to-bottom pattern.
While lamellar armor was much more widespread in the East (China, Mongolia, Japan), it did see use in Europe during the Early and High Middle Ages – predominantly in areas close to Middle-Eastern influence (Byzantine Empire, Italy).

Mail Armor
Mail armor was far and away the most popular and widespread type of armor used during the Middle Ages (Normans). Made of interlocking steel or iron rings riveted closed, mail is flexible and tough. It was used nonstop from the height of the Roman Empire until the end of the Renaissance, reaching its peak in use during the High Middle Ages.

Cons: Moderately heavy, and bad distribution of weight. Poor defense against thrusts and crushes. Loud. Moderately expensive. In fact, most commercially available mail is either quite expensive or not riveted (and even most riveted mail for sale is not the same as historical riveted mail).

Plate Armor
Often associated with the “knight in shining armor,” plate armor is the strongest type of armor that was worn in the Middle Ages. It was formed of iron or steel plates that fit together by a system of rivets and straps. It could be simple nearly to the point of crude, or ornate to the point of florid. It was sometimes painted in order to keep rust from forming. Nearly all helmets were made of plate.
As with “scale mail” the term “plate mail” has appeared in role-playing games and has worked its way into the popular lexicon of medieval fantasy enthusiasts. However, the proper term is simply “plate armor.”

Plate armor

Most Often Used In: Everything. Especially helmets.
Pros: Excellent protection against everything. Widely commercially available. Good distribution of weight, even though it is heavy.
Cons: Hot. Unbelievably Loud. Expensive. Heavy, even with good distribution of weight. Poorly fitted plate armor can be difficult to move in. Difficult to make without advanced knowledge of metalworking.

Aketon – quilted garment worn under armour (see gambeson, below) to absorb shock and impact. The term originated with Crusaders and is said to derive from the word “cotton.”

Armet – a close-fitted, visored helmet that appears to have originated in Italy sometime before 1450 and remained in use through 15th and 16th centuries. The armet was lighter and more protective than the bascinet it surplanted and made use of a new innovation of hinged cheek pieces. This way, the helmet could be closed around the head, and the weight taken up by the gorget and the shoulders. The armet was supplanted by the close-helmet, in turn.

Arming Cap – a quilted cap worn beneath the helmet.

Arnis – Italian for “harness”, the historical term for being “in armour”.

Barbute – another Italian helmet design of the mid-15th century, the barbute or barbuta was a close-fitting helmet that came in a variety of open, and close-faced forms. It’s most famous design, had a “Y” or “T” shaped slot in the face to provide vision and ventilation, and was clearly modeled on ancient Classical Greek helmets.

Bascinet – a basin-shaped helmet, that evolved out of the small steel skull-cap worn beneath the great helm. The bascinet was initially open-faced, but as it supplanted the helm as the primary defense, a variety of hinged visors were developed. Bascinets were in use from the mid-14th through the mid-15th centuries, and were still occassionally used by foot soldiers into the early 16th century.

Besagew – a large, sliding roundel, protecting a joint, such as the inside of the elbow or the armpit.

Bevor – also called a baviere or beavor. The bevor was a 15th century piece of armour that protected the lower part of the face when worn with a sallet. It could be afixed to the helmet of the breatsplate, and was often hinged, so that it could be lowered when not in use.

Boss – The round or cone-shaped metal plate at the center of a shield, protecting the hand. Also called an umbo.

Breaths – Holes in the visor or faceplate of a helmet to provide ventilation.
Brigandine – A type of coat-of-plates (see below) with hundreds of small, overlapping plates, providing great mobility at a slight cost in protection. Popular in the 15th and 16th centuries, the brigandine was usually worn over padding, but not mail.

Buckler – A small round shield (9 – 18″ in diameter) gripped in the hand with either a single handle, or two enarmes. The name buckler is a corruption of the Old French word bocler meaning boss, which refers to the boss or umbo at the center of the shield. It has become a matter of convenience to classify the buckler as a small, agile hand-shield. The definition is a convenient one to use but the reader should be aware that the ancients were not so pedantic about such definitions and used the term indifferently. Used since medieval times, bucklers were round or even square, approx. 8-20″ and made of metal, wood, or metal trimmed wood. It was usually held in a fist grip and used to deflect or punch at blows and thrusts. The edge could also be used to strike and block. Some had long metal spikes on the front to attack with, or bars and hooks placed on the front to trap the point of an opponent’s rapier. Italian “rondash” or “bochiero.”

Buff-coat – a heavy coat of buff-leather, used a pikeman and gunner’s armour in the Renaissance, alone or under a breastplate. Buff-coats were also often worn as light protection when dueling with rapiers or swords.

Burgonet – an open-faced helmet with a crest and cheek-guards, used in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Byrnie – a mail shirt, mid-thigh length, with elbow-length sleeves. This was the principal body defense for wealthy warriors from late Antiquity until the early 11th century.

Camail – a curtain of mail, hanging from the bottom of the helmet, as a defense for the chin, neck, throat and shoulders.

Cap-a-pie – an Old French expression, meaning to be armed from head-to-foot.

Chausses – leggings. In the case of armour, mail leggings, tied to the belt by leather thongs, and usually worn over quilted chausses.

Close-helmet – a form of close-fitting, full helmet, of the 16th and 17th centuries. The close helm clearly derived from the armet, which it supplanted.

Coat-armour – An overgarment of the late Middle Ages, particularly popular in tournament, that showed the wearer’s heraldry, or that of his lord.

Coat-of-Plates – Steel, bone, or hardened leather plates riveted or sewn inside a leather or heavy fabric covering, to provide a flexible form of plate armour. In the late 13th and 14th centuries, the coat-of-plates would have been worn over a mail haubergeon.
Coif – a hood of fabric or mail, worn under the helmet.
Couter – plate armour protecting the elbow. Often fitted with a besagew.

Cuirbouilli – leather, hardened by boiling in water, used as a material for armour, particularly in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Cuisse – armour for the thighs. Early cuises were simply quilted garments, like an aketon, but term also later applied to plate defenses.

Enarmes – leather straps used to grip a shield or buckler.

Gambeson – sometimes used to refer to the aketon, the gambeson more commonly in the period referred to a quilted and decorated coat-armour of the late 14th century, worn over the breastplate, or alone.

Gardebras – a full arm-harness, comprised of the couter, vambrace and rerebrace.

Gauntlet – an armoured glove, often formed of a single plate for the back of the hand, and smaller overlapping plates for the fingers, enabling them to move easily.

Gorget – a close-fitting plate defencse for the neck, throat, and upper chest.
Great Helm – the first helmet in the Middle Ages to encompass the entire head, usually made of four or five iron plats riveted together, and worn over a mail coif, and sometimes a small steel skull-cap. Great helms first appeared in the last decade of the 12th century, and became wide-spread in the 13th and early 14th centuries. They remained the dominant form of tournament helmet into the Renaissance, becoming progressively heavier and more massive. After 1420, the helms came down to the shoulders and were bolted to the chest and back.

Greave – armour for the shin and calf.

Guige – The strap which slings a shield from the shoulders or neck
Harness – the common Medieval term for armour.

Haubergeon – a hauberk with the long skirts removed, so that it ended between crotch and mid-thigh length, usually with a dagged-hem. The mail coat was worn in this form in the 14th and 15th centuries, usually under some form of plate defense.

Hauberk – a long coat of mail, knee-length or longer, initially with half-sleeves, which by the 12th century, had extended to the wrist. Later, the hauberk sleeve became even closer fitting and ended in mail mittens called mufflers. Although there is a clear distinction between the hauberk and haubergeon, as noted above, in early writings the two terms were used interchangably. The hauberk of mail was the principle body armour of the 11th – 13th centuries.

Jack – a cheap defensive coat of fabric or leather, with small plates sandwiched and stitched between its layers.
Jupon – a short, fitted surcoat, worn over armour in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Made of several thicknesses of fabric, the other layer was often a rich velvet or silk, with the owner’s arms embroidered or appliqued on.

Kettle hat – a plain iron hat with a broad brim, nearly identical to the civil defense helmets of the 20th century, or those of English “doughboys” in the First World War. The kettle-hat was common defense from the 12th through 15th centuries.

Lammellar – believed to have originated in Asia, a semi-rigid form of armour consisting of short metal plates pierced, overlapped, and laced together. Lammellar was used from Antiquity until the 20th century, but outside of Eastern Europe (and to a lesser extent, Scandinavia and Sicily) it was known, but never popular, in the West.

Mail – a type of armour formed of rings punched from a sheet of metal, or individually riveted together. A coat of mail could have over 20, 000 rings in it. Mail was flexible, and when properly belted, reasonably comfortable, but was insufficient protection against thrusts or concussive force, unless worn with heavy padding underneath. In the mid-13th century, the first additional plate defenses were added at the shin, elbows, and kness, but before the Hundred Years War (c.1338 – 1453) the knight was still essentially armoured in mail. By the end of the 14th century, mail was a primary body defence only for poor knights and common soldiers, but it continued to be used as skirts and armpit protection – areas that plates could not protect, throughout the period. Note, the term chain mail is an incorrect, Victorian, “invention.”

Morion – a late form of helmet (c. 1570 – 1650) with a strongly curved brim and high “comb” on top. Associated in popular imagination with the Spanish Conquistadores, the style actually developed after Spain’s initial conquests in the Americas.

Pair of Plates – a body defense, with larger plates than a standard coat-of-plates, but still not a solid breastplate.

Salade/Sallet – a helmet of the 15th and 16th centuries, often with a small, hinged visor, and a long, articulated tail, to protect the back of the neck. Variants existed for both footsoldiers and men-at-arms.

Shield – a defensive devise that came in a variety of shapes and sizes, made of leather-covered wood or metal, and hung from the arm by a series of straps, or gripped by a handle.

Sights – the ‘eye slot’ in a helmet’s visor. Also called occularium.

Studded and Splinted Armour – a term sometimes given to the transitional armour of the 14th century, in which a variety of rigid materials was riveted in strips or plates to the inside of heavy fabric or leather coverings.

Surcoat – a long, tunic-like, cloth garment worn over the armour, in a variety of forms, from the 1170s to the 1420s. The early surcoat was almost heel length, and progressively became shorter and tighter-fitting. Surcoats served a variety of purposes. Firstly they kept a certain amount of rain and dirt off of the armour. Secondly, they provided a screen to keep the metal armour from the sun’s heat. Third, they became a background for the display of the wearer’s coat of arms.

Tabard – a simple garment, similar to a surcoat, slit down the sides, with the front and back held togther by ties which could be drawn tight or left loose. Tabards were used in tournaments to display the knights’ heraldry in the late 15th century, and survive today as the elaborate garments worn by officers of the English College of Heralds on ceremonial occassions.

Targe – A targe (“targa” or Italian “rondella”) was a small wooden shield with a leather cover and leather or metal trim. Some later Renaissance versions were made entirely of steel. Targets were worn on the arm as with typical shields. They were also usually flat rather than convex. The “targe” actually comes from small “targets” placed on archery practice dummies.

Target – a round shield, mounted on the arm, used throughout history. Most targets were large (30 – 36”) and made of wood, but in the Renaissance, a smaller (24” diameter), steel version became popular.

Tassets – Overlapping plates that cover the juncture of hip and thigh in a full suit of plate armour.

Military ranks of Order of Knights Templar. Templar ranks and organization structure in medieval Europe. Templar Grandmaster, Marshal, Knight, Sergeant and more.

Templar ranking system was unique in medieval times, other knight orders like Hospitallers, Teutonic Knights have own ranking system, usually similar to the following Templar one.

Knights Templar Ranks

Knights Templar Ranks

Grand Master
This office was for life, and the Grand Master was in charge of the entire Order, worldwide. Throughout history, a couple of men retired from the position of Grand Master, with the pope’s permission, but for the most part, dying was the only way out of the job.

Master and Commander
The Master and Commander was the local commander in charge of the commandery — a small templar “city” and stronghold. He had complete command in the field.

Seneschal
The Seneschal was the right-hand man for the Master and was sometimes called a Grand Commander. In peace, the Seneschal administered all the lands belonging to the chapter house. In war, he handled the movement of the men, the pack trains, the food procurement, and other issues of moving an army.

Turcopolier
This officer was the third in line militarily. He was in command of the light cavalry and the Sergeant brothers (see below).
Marshal
The Marshal was in charge of all arms, as well as all horses. He was very much a military man, and a Master would usually consult with him, as well as the Seneschal and the Turcopolier, before making any final decisions on tactics.

Templar Marshal

Under-Marshal
The first officer under the Marshal, the Under-Marshal was in charge of the lesser equipment, bridles, padding for saddles, barrels of water, and other supply problems. He held a very important position in battle because he held the piebald banner, a flag at the head of all, to keep stragglers together.
Standard Bearer
Also called the Confanonier, the Standard Bearer was in charge of the Squires (see below). He was their paymaster, their disciplinarian, and the man who checked over their very important work of keeping the knights’ horses and weapons in good order. He didn’t actually “bear the standard” in battle — he marched in front of the banner and led his marching column.

Templar Banner bearer

Knight
The knight was the backbone of the battlefield. Knights were the equivalent of the cavalry. A small force of knights was very powerful, skilled in warfare, clad in armor, able to take on a large number of foot soldiers. Only a man whose father and grandfather both had been knights could become one, and if he were caught lying about his lineage, the penalty was severe.

Templar Knight

The knights dressed in the famous white habit adorned with a red cross. There was no mistaking a Templar knight on the battlefield. Hair was cut short, but knights were forbidden to shave their beards, probably in keeping with the Muslim belief that a beard was a sign of greater masculinity. No sense giving your enemies a reason not to respect you.
Sergeant
Usually from a lower social class than the more noble knights, the Sergeant was still a light cavalry officer, the chief support officer for the knight. Sergeants dressed in a black tunic and a black or brown mantle, often with a red cross.

Knights Templar Sergeant

Treasurer
The Treasurer’s duties are clear — this was the guy who kept the books.

Draper
The Draper was in charge of all the clothing and bed linen of everyone in the Order. He also had the power to oversee everyone of every rank, and to chastise them if their clothing was not proper for their position, or if anything decorated it, such as a collar of fur on a knight’s white robe or mantle.
Squires
Squires were the young men who, just like in the movies, were there to assist the knight in any way possible, from polishing his weapons to feeding his horses. The difference for a Templar Squire is that this was often a hired position, especially in the first hundred years of the Order. It was only later that many Squires were there specifically to test themselves and their mettle and to climb to the order of Knight.

Lay Servants
Lay Servants could run the gamut, from masons brought in to do building or repair work to personal servants to an officer. The hierarchical statutes of the Templar Rule laid out precisely how many of such servants each officer was allowed to have. For a Templar to have too many would be a sin of pride.

Chaplain brothers
One of the most important positions within a Templar commandery was that of the Chaplain brother. The job came with many delicate layers of meaning. He was sort of the internal priest for the Order. He had the power to hear confessions and to give absolution for sins. In fact, Templars were forbidden to say their confession to anyone else without a papal dispensation, which simply means special permission from the pope. This is a very important point, because in effect, what the pope did was to make the Templars spiritually, as well as politically, independent from the rest of the Church. They were not answerable to local clerics or bishops, but only to the pope.

Commanders of the Lands
Jerusalem, Antioch and Tripoli
These Templar officers operated much like a Baillie and operated under the Masters. Commanders were responsible for all Templar houses, castles and farms in their jurisdiction.

The personal retinue of the Commanders consisted of two squires, two foot soldiers, one sergeant, one deacon and one Saracen scribe. Like others, the Commander had four horses at his command as well as one palfrey (riding horse).

Provincial Masters
Provincial Masters, who governed the western districts, were similar to the Commanders of Lands, but seem to have largely been responsible for managing revenue and recruiting new men to the Order.
Templar Offices
Templar offices were called bailies, meaning something entrusted to someone. It’s the root word for the more familiar term of bailiff.

History of Medieval jousting tournaments, knights fights and war sport in medieval times. Knight tournaments started in 11th century and lasted till mass firearm development in 17th century (30 Years War in Europe).

Medieval Jousting Tournaments

Tournaments started in France in the 11th century. They were public contests of courage and skill. Usually they were held to entertain royalty. They fought on an enclosed field. Many knights died. Many peasants were also killed when the horses went out of control.

The joust was a type of medieval sport which consisted of two horses charging at each other from opposite directions with a rider holding a sharp lance. They were only separated by a low wooden fence. Once somebody fell off they are usually hurt or killed. Knights would either forfeit their horse and armor or if able, they would fight on ground with a sword and shield. The object of the joust was to knock your opponent off their horse, which was pretty hard to do because the back of the saddle was about 1 foot tall. If the knight ever fell, his squire, (which are knights in training), would make sure they were all right. If the knight splintered 3 lances it was either a draw or his choice was to fight on the ground. The joust could last for days because all knights would compete in it.

Hoofbeats thunder on the hard dirt. The big heavy armor clacks as one knight fights another. The king watches with interest as two lances smash together at full force. One man falls to the hard dirt ground. That’s what happens at the scene of a joust.

The armor was hot and stuffy. It weighed about 50 pounds. Some gloves were molded together and could not move. The horses the knights used were stallions. They are strong and nimble. The horses had to wear armor too. The ladies would give her favorite knight something like a scarf or a glove to show that he was their “special” knight.

Jousting tournament

There was another kind of tournament called the melee. The melee consists of two teams with flags on their backs using clubs and blunt swords. The object was to knock the flags off. One of the less popular tournaments was on water. Where one knight had a lance and tried to knock his opponent off his boat while other people rowed forward. They also had martial arts and kickboxing. Lots of knights made money from tournaments.

Melee Knight fight

Tournaments were the highlight of castle life. A herald or knight issue a challenge. People made wooden stands decorated with pennants for the royalty. Small tents were made for the peasants. People were hired to keep track of the winners. Anyone was allowed to enter if they had a suit of armor, a horse , and a sword and shield.

Medieval Tournament Ceremony

Tournaments ended with the final decay of feudalism and chivalry in the 17th century. They stopped combats and made them state pageants. The church tried to stop tournaments because people often died. The church failed. The development of firearms and their widespread use helped stop the jousting tournaments.

History of Knights Templar. Order of Knights Templars. Famous Knights Templar. Templar symbols-cross and seal.

History of Knights Templar.

Knights Templar, a religious military order of knighthood established at the time of the Crusades that became a model and inspiration for other military orders. Originally founded to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, the order assumed greater military duties during the 12th century. Its prominence and growing wealth, however, provoked opposition from rival orders. Falsely accused of blasphemy and blamed for Crusader failures in the Holy Land, the order was destroyed by King Philip IV of France.

Founding the Knights Templar Order
Following the success of the First Crusade (1095–99), a number of Crusader states were established in the Holy Land, but these kingdoms lacked the necessary military force to maintain more than a tenuous hold over their territories. Most Crusaders returned home after fulfilling their vows, and Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem suffered attacks from Muslim raiders. Pitying the plight of these Christians, eight or nine French knights led by Hugh de Payns vowed in late 1119 or early 1120 to devote themselves to the pilgrims’ protection and to form a religious community for that purpose. Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem, gave them quarters in a wing of the royal palace in the area of the former Temple of Solomon, and from this they derived their name.

Although the Templars were opposed by those who rejected the idea of a religious military order and later by those who criticized their wealth and influence, they were supported by many secular and religious leaders. Beginning in 1127, Hugh undertook a tour of Europe and was well received by many nobles, who made significant donations to the knights. The Templars obtained further sanction at the Council of Troyes in 1128, which may have requested that Bernard of Clairvaux compose the new rule. Bernard also wrote In Praise of the New Knighthood (c. 1136), which defended the order against its critics and contributed to its growth. In 1139 Pope Innocent II issued a bull that granted the order special privileges: the Templars were allowed to build their own oratories and were not required to pay the tithe; they were also exempt from episcopal jurisdiction, being subject to the pope alone.

The rule of the order was modeled after the Benedictine Rule, especially as understood and implemented by the Cistercians. The Knights Templar swore an oath of poverty, chastity, and obedience and renounced the world, just as the Cistercians and other monks did. Like the monks, the Templars heard the divine office during each of the canonical hours of the day and were expected to honour the fasts and vigils of the monastic calendar. They were frequently found in prayer and expressed particular veneration to the Virgin Mary. They were not allowed to gamble, swear, or become drunk and were required to live in community, sleeping in a common dormitory and eating meals together. They were not, however, strictly cloistered, as were the monks, nor were they expected to perform devotional reading (most Templars were uneducated and unable to read Latin). The knights’ primary duty was to fight. The Templars gradually expanded their duties from protecting pilgrims to mounting a broader defense of the Crusader states in the Holy Land. They built castles, garrisoned important towns, and participated in battles, fielding significant contingents against Muslim armies until the fall of Acre, the last remaining Crusader stronghold in the Holy Land, in 1291. Their great effectiveness was attested by the sultan Saladin following the devastating defeat of Crusader forces at the Battle of Hattin; he bought the Templars who were taken prisoner and later had each of them executed.

Knights Templar

Knights Templar organization and structure

By the mid-12th century the constitution of the order and its basic structure were established. It was headed by a grand master, who was elected for life and served in Jerusalem. Templar territories were divided into provinces, which were governed by provincial commanders, and each individual house, called a preceptory, was headed by a preceptor. General chapter meetings of all members of the order were held to address important matters affecting the Templars and to elect a new master when necessary. Similar meetings were held at the provincial level and on a weekly basis in each house.

The Templars were originally divided into two classes: knights and sergeants. The knight-brothers came from the military aristocracy and were trained in the arts of war. They assumed elite leadership positions in the order and served at royal and papal courts. Only the knights wore the Templars’ distinctive regalia, a white surcoat marked with a red cross. The sergeants, or serving-brothers, who were usually from lower social classes, made up the majority of members. They dressed in black habits and served as both warriors and servants. The Templars eventually added a third class, the chaplains, who were responsible for holding religious services, administering the sacraments, and addressing the spiritual needs of the other members. Although women were not allowed to join the order, there seems to have been at least one Templar nunnery.

The Templars eventually acquired great wealth. The kings and great nobles of Spain, France, and England gave lordships, castles, seigniories, and estates to the order, so that by the mid-12th century the Templars owned properties scattered throughout western Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Holy Land. The Templars’ military strength enabled them to safely collect, store, and transport bullion to and from Europe and the Holy Land, and their network of treasure storehouses and their efficient transport organization made them attractive as bankers to kings as well as to pilgrims to the Holy Land.

End of Knights Templar

The Templars were not without enemies, however. They had long engaged in a bitter rivalry with the other great military order of Europe, the Hospitallers, and, by the late 13th century, proposals were being made to merge the two contentious orders into one. The fall of Acre to the Muslims in 1291 removed much of the Templars’ reason for being, and their great wealth, extensive landholdings in Europe, and power inspired resentment toward them. Although an ex-Templar had accused the order of blasphemy and immorality as early as 1304 (though more likely 1305), it was only later—after Philip IV ordered the arrest on October 13, 1307, of every Templar in France and sequestered all the Templars’ property in the country—that most of the people of Europe became aware of the extent of the alleged crimes of the order. Philip accused the Templars of heresy and immorality; specific charges against them included idol worship (of a bearded male head said to have great powers), worship of a cat, homosexuality, and numerous other errors of belief and practice. At the order’s secret initiation rite, it was claimed, the new member denied Christ three times, spat on the crucifix, and was kissed on the base of the spine, on the navel, and on the mouth by the knight presiding over the ceremony. The charges, now recognized to be without foundation, were calculated to stoke contemporary fears of heretics, witches, and demons and were similar to allegations Philip had used against Pope Boniface VIII.

Knights Templar Burning-Jacques de Molay

Burning of Knights Templar
An illustration of Templar grand master Jacques de Molay being led to the stake. The reasons why Philip sought to destroy the Templars are unclear; he may have genuinely feared their power and been motivated by his own piety to destroy a heretical group, or he may have simply seen an opportunity to seize their immense wealth, being chronically short of money himself. At any rate, Philip mercilessly pursued the order and had many of its members tortured to secure false confessions. Although Pope Clement V, himself a Frenchman, ordered the arrest of all the Templars in November 1307, a church council in 1311 voted overwhelmingly against suppression, and Templars in countries other than France were found innocent of the charges. Clement, however, under strong pressure from Philip, suppressed the order on March 22, 1312, and the Templars’ property throughout Europe was transferred to the Hospitallers or confiscated by secular rulers. Knights who confessed and were reconciled to the church were sent into retirement in the order’s former houses or in monasteries, but those who failed to confess or who relapsed were put on trial. Among those judged guilty was the order’s last grand master, Jacques de Molay. Brought before a commission established by the pope, de Molay and other leaders were judged relapsed heretics and sentenced to life in prison. The master protested and repudiated his confession and was burned at the stake, the last victim of a highly unjust and opportunistic persecution.

Importance of Knights Templar
At the time of its destruction, the order was an important institution in both Europe and the Holy Land and already an object of myth and legend. The Templars were associated with the Grail legend and were identified as defenders of the Grail castle through the remainder of the Middle Ages. In the 18th century the Freemasons claimed to have received in a secret line of succession esoteric knowledge that the Templars had possessed. The Templars were also identified as Gnostics and were accused of involvement in a number of conspiracies, including one that was allegedly behind the French Revolution. In the 20th century the image of Christ on the Shroud of Turin was identified as the head allegedly worshipped by the Templars. Resurrecting a vein of pseudohistory and Grail legends, authors in the 20th century, claiming to assert historical fact but writing what most scholars regard as fantasy, implicated the Templars in a vast conspiracy dedicated to preserving the blood line of Jesus. Similar occult conspiracy theories were also used by writers of fiction in the 20th and 21st centuries.